The Assassin's Cartographer
by K.D Verne
Summary: Damian Wayne has returned to Gotham Academy after being expelled. Maps is beyond content, but Damian has been avoiding her since his return. Maps is not easy to forget Damian and her's last encounter, so why is he? Meanwhile, this school is dealing with a robbery of a very important artifact. It's up to the Detective Club to figure it out with the help of Damian...or Robin?


**A/N:**

Hi! So, this story takes place in Gotham Academy universe. Gotham Academy is comic about a group of friends discovering the _weird_ of Gotham's most prestige school, Gotham Academy. A lot of different characters appear in the comic such as Damian Wayne, Bruce, Batgirl, etc. I love the comic and i can't wait for the new issues for Semester Two. If you have the time read it! The writers and artist are just amazeballs.

* * *

 **The Assassin's Cartographer**

" _Well . . . Anyway, I just wanted to thank you. You saved me. You didn't have to," Maps said._

 _"I . . . umm . . . Look, take this," Damian said, handing Maps a batarang. "You might need it someday."_

 _Maps starred romantically at the batarang, guiding her finger along its sharp edges. Without glancing at Maps one last time, Damian departed from Gotham Academy; Maps was too distracted by the batarang to notice his absence._

* * *

 **9:00pm**

 **Gotham Academy Summer Dance**

Maps walked along the red lines of the gyms, fiddling with her tie. Her tie was not as extravagant as the Armani suit she wore. Maps observed her fellow classmates; they all seemed to look content. Today, was the last day of school. Administrators believed a formal would be a good way to end the school year. Oh, how wrong they were. Unfortunately, there was one counterfeit among Map's classmates. Last week, the Detective Club had discovered an arachnoid creature that stole the faces of staff and students and was able to change its appearance using their faces. The creature had escaped through the tunnels. Maps wanted to go after it, but Kyle was against it.

The group believed that the creature would disguise itself among the students at the dance. It seemed like a good cover and tactic to abduct more kids. Colton worked the DJ stand, allowing him to get a close look at every student that approached him with a song request. The arachnoid creature had a unpleasant odor and Colton had a sharp nose. Olive and Kyle were on the dancefloor having a good time. Or at least pretending to. Although their smiles were loose and nonchalant, their eyes remained focused about their surroundings. Pomeline worked the concessions and added a little bug spray in specific cups to anyone she found suspicious. Maps continued to walk along the red lines and she let her mind wonder. Damian Wayne had left in imprint on her brain. She set up mind maps trying to link him to Batman or Robin. The equipment he had when they met didn't seem like they came out the dollar store. But maybe Batman was like a donor to Damian. He was the _son_ of Bruce Wayne, so money didn't seem like a problem. No matter how much she racked her brain, Maps came to a dead end. She wished that he hadn't gotten expelled. They had made a nice duo. Wrapped in thought, Maps wondered outside the gym into the hallway that connected the gym and first building. Maps felt a slimey substance brush her face. She paused. Maps slowly looked above her and saw a lime slime web. Her fellow classmates were wrapped in the web and some did not have faces. In the corner of a pillar a girl was curled up and her body looked sprawled.

Maps breathed slowly. She took a step back, but the girl whipped her head around and turned her head in a complete circle. Her small body become full-sized, her eyes mutipled and so did her arms. Along her stretched bodies were faces of people. They looked like glistening masks, stretched to be fitted. The creature knocked Maps into the doors, sending them flying into the gym. The music stopped and everyone starred. And then screaming took the place of silence.

Kyle and Olive rushed to Maps aid. She was smothered under the doors and her suit was ripped. "Maps are you alright?'' Kyle asked.

"Kyle, my suit-it's ripped. It took forever to save for this suit."

Olive sighed. "Maps you can save for a new one. We have other things to worry about."

The three club mates whipped their heads towards Pomeline's screams. The creature had her pinned to the wall and looked somewhat pained. Pomeline had the can in bug spray in her hand. Maps looked at Kyle and he got the message. Olive was already headed for Pomeline with a plastic knife in hand. Kyle quickly got Maps to her feet and headed for the DJ stand where Colton was. Under the stand was a bag of Colton's most precious fireworks and gas bombs. He looked almost sad to have to use all his supplies. Meanwhile, Olive threw her plastic knife at the arachnoid. It hit it straight in one of its eyes. The creature dropped Pomline and directed its attention towards Olive.

"Colton," Kyle sounded anxious. "Hurry and light them. Olive won't be able to out run that thing."

Colton grabbed his lighter. "It won't be long." He then caught sight of Pomeline searching for something under the drink table. She pulled out a grappling hook, _Map's_ grappling hook. Pomeline quickly ran over to the DJ stand and hid with her friends. She handed Maps the grappling hook and Maps felt like her heart was about to burst out her chest.

"You left it on your bed before you left. Thought it might come in handy," Pomeline said.

"Oh my flipping God you're the best," Maps squealed excited.

With her grappling hook, Maps pointed above to a gas pipe line. She shot towards her target and the hook wrapped around the pipe like a warm scarf. "OLIVE BE READY. RUN TOWARDS ME," she yelled. Olive ran as fast as her legs could take her. She was getting closer and closer, but so was the creature. _Almost there,_ Maps thought. _Just a little-_ Maps finger hit the trigger and she went flying, catching Olive and they soared high before the creature could snatch them. They were almost safe when the pipe broke and they came falling down like a baby bird falling from the nest. Suddenly, the window shattered and a violent strength forced the girls to the floor. Every part of Olive's body hurt. "Maps? Maps, you okay?" she barely whispered.

Maps did not respond. Before them was the Robin. He did not seem wounded from the fall and his eyes lay on Maps, his gaze burning into her. Maps could not believe her eyes. _Robin_ was here. The same Robin that left her secret packages. The same Robin who most likely gave Damian the batarang.

"Are you two alright?'' he asked.

Since Maps could not answer, Olive was left to. "Yeah, we're fine. . ." Olive wasn't too happy to see one of the Bat's little sidekicks here.

"Good," Robin said reaching for his katana, as the creature grew annoyed and charged for them. "Maybe someone can explain why you _children_ are so damn immature."

Robin stabbed another one of the creature's eyes out and kicked it with full force. Its blood stained Robin's cape. He wiped it away with genuine disgust. " _Immature?!"_ Olive hissed. Robin payed he no attention and went to deal with what he came for. Maps, still on the floor, could not hide her smile. Robin was here and she was finally going to prove her worth. She'd do some cool ninja moves and win Robin's favor and become accepted into the Bat Family and- Olive shook her until she lost her train of thought.

"We have to go Maps! Colton is about to blow this place up," Olive said helping Maps up and motioning her towards the exit.

"But Robin!" Maps exclaimed as Olive pushed her out.

The detective club ran far from the gym as the fireworks and bombs went off, busting every window and blazing the place. Maps turned to her friends and ensured they were okay. Their plan didn't exactly go as well as they had hoped. They went to the other side outside of the gym to find Robin standing over the dead arachnoid creature, a katana in its throat. Robin was covered in blood and he gazed at the group furiously.

"You're not gonna snitch to Batman or anything right. . . .?" Colton asked nervously.

Robin only sighed and took his katana out the creature's throat. "He wouldn't waste time with riotous children like you all."

Robin inspected the damage done to the school. He caught sight of Maps looking at him dreamily. He knew she wanted satisfaction and it was something he couldn't give her. Maps was childish and exasperating. In every audacious situation Maps and her friends got into he was there to clean it up. But, being almost burned by fireworks and such drove his last nerve. "Look," he said. "This is the last time." Robin disappeared and left Maps no words.

* * *

 **10:00am**

 **Gotham Academy Girls Dormitory**

Summer was the opportunity to make a new Map of the school. Maps would study it and when school returns she'd know every inch of this school and some of the new buildings. In all honesty, Maps wanted to spend the summer with Olive. Since last summer Olive never called or came over to visit. This summer would be different. Maps walked through the empty halls of the academy. When she passed the headmaster's office, she herd HammerHead talking to someone. She peaked through the door and saw Bruce Wayne. Next to him was a boy about her age. _Damian._

"I assure you headmaster, Damian's behavior has changed. He'll cause no further trouble, I promise you."

HammerHead eyed Damian from top to bottom. Maps knew he couldn't really say no to Bruce Wayne. "Fine," Headmaster said. "Please make sure you attend registration and orientation during the summer". Maps quickly ran down the hall before Mr. Wayne and Damian left. _Damian's going back to school._ The thought made Maps think of her plans, Serpent and Spells pairings, and the opportunity to be totally amzeballs. Maps began to count the days away until August.


End file.
